SMS conference
First Claim
1. A communication method comprising:
- initiating a Short Messaging Service (SMS) conference by transmitting a request to a control center wherein said request includes contact information for a plurality of conference participants;
storing said contact information contained in said request as a conference group;
assigning an SMS conference identifier (“
SCID”
) to said conference group;
transmitting an initial short message, using said assigned SCID, to said conference participants; and
enabling said conference participants to transmit a reply short message to all conference participants by addressing said reply short message to the assigned SCID.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, computer system, computer program product, and user interface for enabling SMS users to engage in many-to-many conversation, or an SMS conference, utilizing SMS services. Specifically, a user initiates an SMS conference by sending a short message, including the contact numbers for a group of conference participants, to a control center. The control center establishes an SMS conference by storing the contact information as a conference group and assigning a unique identifier to the conference group. Thus, the SMSC establishes an SMS conference by associating the conference group with a unique identifier. The SMSC transmits the short message from the conference initiator to each participant. A participant is able to send a message to all conference participants by addressing the message to the unique identifier. The control center then forwards the message to each participant in the conference as indicated by the unique identifier.
162 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A communication method comprising:
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initiating a Short Messaging Service (SMS) conference by transmitting a request to a control center wherein said request includes contact information for a plurality of conference participants;
storing said contact information contained in said request as a conference group;
assigning an SMS conference identifier (“
SCID”
) to said conference group;
transmitting an initial short message, using said assigned SCID, to said conference participants; and
enabling said conference participants to transmit a reply short message to all conference participants by addressing said reply short message to the assigned SCID. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of sending many-to-many messages in a wireless communication network, comprising:
transmitting a Short Messaging Service (SMS) conference request including information concerning a plurality of conference participants;
assigning an identification code to said SMS conference request, and transmitting an SMS message to said plurality of conference participants, wherein said identification code enables said conference participants to transmit a reply SMS message to the other conference participants by addressing said reply SMS message to said identification code.- View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A wireless system for enabling many-to-many communication via Short Messaging Service (SMS) comprising:
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a subscriber station capable of initiating an SMS request;
a control center operable to receive said SMS request from said subscriber station and assign an identification code to said SMS request thereby identifying an SMS conference; and
a delivery protocol operable to transmit an SMS message for said plurality of conference participants, wherein one of the plurality of conference participants can send a reply SMS message to remaining conference participants by addressing said SMS message to said identification code. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer program product for enabling a computer to engage in many-to-many communication via Short Messaging Service (SMS) comprising:
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software instructions for enabling the computer to perform predetermined operations, and a computer readable medium bearing the software instructions;
the predetermined operations including;
receiving an SMS request and assigning an SMS conference identifier (“
SCID”
) to said SMS request;
transmitting an SMS message, using said SCID, to a plurality of conference participants; and
enabling one of the conference participants to transmit an SMS message to the other conference participants by addressing said SMS message to the SCID.
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37. A computer system adapted to facilitate many-to-many communication via Short Messaging Service (SMS), comprising:
- a processor, and
a memory including software instructions adapted to enable the computer system to perform;
receiving an SMS request at a control center wherein said control center assigns an SMS conference identifier (“
SCID”
) to said SMS request;
transmitting said SMS request, using said SCID, to at least one conference participant; and
enabling said conference participant to transmit a short message to at least one other conference participant by addressing the short message to the SCID.
- a processor, and
Specification